Menu

Ian Voegtle

Sparklite is a top-down, action adventure title by Red Blue Games. Straight away, it is easy to notice the inspirations from the 16-bit era of gaming. The classic, SNES style graphics are packed with charm, detail, and whimsy. Sparklite begins with the protagonist, Ada, losing control of her airship and crashing into the land of…

The Sinking City is a narrative-focused investigation game developed by Frogwares and published by Bigben Interactive. This review is based on the PS4 version of the game. Set in the 1920s, you play as the Navy veteran and private investigator Charles Reed who freshly arrives on an old barge to the fictional town of Oakmont.…

From Software is no stranger to what fans of their Dark Souls series are hungry for, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice serves up a familiar dish with new spices to keep things interesting. I’ve been an admirer of this developer since way back on the PlayStation One. King’s Field and Armored Core brought me into…

Developed by a small team of three at Serkan Bakar games, GhoulBoy is a retro-inspired action hack and slash game. It is so diligently attuned to the era it emulates that it sometimes brings both the classic charm and imperfections painstakingly into present day. This review is based on the PS4 version which released March…

At first glance, Reverie: Sweet As Edition has the distinct look of Super Nintendo classics from days past. Aesthetically, it looks like Startropics and The Legend of Zelda had an indie lovechild and named Earthbound the godparent. It was developed by the small team at Rainbite, a group of only three core developers. The “Sweet…

Super Pixel Racers is a graphically 16-bit racer played from a top down perspective. Developed by 21c Ducks and published by H2 Interactive, it was launched on PS4 and XB1 October 31, 2018. What initially looks like a modern re-implementation of R.C. Pro-Am, Super Pixel Racers builds on the old formula by introducing new depth…

Alwa’s Awakening is an 8-bit throwback game which has many metroidvania inspirations. Developed by Elden Pixels, a small team of four assembled in 2016, this is their first project. This review is based on the Nintendo Switch version. The game opens with a brief explanation of how the beautiful world of Alwa was enslaved by…

The 2018 calendar has been filled with many 2D Metroidvania game releases. In order to stand out, Timespinner borrows heavily from the exceptional classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and mixes things up with having time travel, time manipulation and storytelling being the central elements of the experience. The 16-bit styled pixel art is beautiful,…

Planet Alpha offers an experience that reminds me of great games from the past while mixing in new ideas and current graphics. It is a 2D puzzle adventurer similar to modern examples including Never Alone, Limbo and Inside; or classics like Another World. If you are unfamiliar with this style of game, play consists of…